This invention relates to repairing cartilage, for example, articular cartilage on the femur.
Articular cartilage that is damaged (e.g., torn or excessively worn) may be repaired in a variety of ways. For example, the damaged cartilage may be shaved or scraped from the bone surface, thereby causing bleeding which stimulates the growth of fibrocartilage. Small holes may be drilled in the bone to promote bleeding and fibrocartilage growth. Alternatively, an allograft (e.g., cartilage grown in vitro from cartilage tissue removed from the patient) may be implanted by attaching a periosteum membrane (harvested, e.g., from the patient's tibia), to the bone surface and injecting the allograft beneath the membrane. The periosteum provides a healthy environment which promotes further cartilage cell growth.